IthinkthatIlovesocietyasmuchasmost,andamreadyenoughtofastenmyselflikeabloodsuckerforthetimetoanyfull-bloodedmanthatcomesinmyway.Iamnaturallynohermit,butmightpossiblysitoutthesturdiestfrequenterofthebar-room,ifmybusinesscalledmethither.
Ihadthreechairsinmyhouseoneforsolitude,twoforfriendship,threeforsociety.Whenvisitorscameinlargerandunexpectednumberstherewasbutthethirdchairforthemall,buttheygenerallyeconomizedtheroombystandingup.Itissurprisinghowmanygreatmenandwomenasmallhousewillcontain.Ihavehadtwenty-fiveorthirtysouls,withtheirbodies,atonceundermyroof,andyetweoftenpartedwithoutbeingawarethatwehadcomeveryneartooneanother.Manyofourhouses,bothpublicandprivate,withtheiralmostinnumerableapartments,theirhugehallsandtheircellarsforthestorageofwinesandothermunitionsofpeace,appeartomeextravagantlylargefortheirinhabitants.Theyaresovastandmagnificentthatthelatterseemtobeonlyverminwhichinfestthem.IamsurprisedwhentheheraldblowshissummonsbeforesomeTremontorAstororMiddlesexHouse,toseecomecreepingoutoverthepiazzaforallinhabitantsaridiculousmouse,whichsoonagainslinksintosomeholeinthepavement.
OneinconvenienceIsometimesexperiencedinsosmallahouse,thedifficultyofgettingtoasufficientdistancefrommyguestwhenwebegantoutterthebigthoughtsinbigwords.Youwantroomforyourthoughtstogetintosailingtrimandrunacourseortwobeforetheymaketheirport.Thebulletofyourthoughtmusthaveovercomeitslateralandricochetmotionandfallenintoitslastandsteadycoursebeforeitreachestheearofthehearer,elseitmayploughoutagainthroughthesideofhishead.Also,oursentenceswantedroomtounfoldandformtheircolumnsintheinterval.Individuals,likenations,musthavesuitablebroadandnaturalboundaries,evenaconsiderableneutralground,betweenthem.Ihavefounditasingularluxurytotalkacrossthepondtoacompanionontheoppositeside.Inmyhouseweweresonearthatwecouldnotbegintohear,—wecouldnotspeaklowenoughtobeheardaswhenyouthrowtwostonesintocalmwatersonearthattheybreakeachother’sundulations.Ifwearemerelyloquaciousandloudtalkers,thenwecanaffordtostandveryneartogether,cheekbyjowl,andfeeleachother’sbreathbutifwespeakreservedlyandthoughtfully,wewanttobefartherapart,thatallan